The best

kind of hockey... is in the driveway with your neighborhood buddies.
Oh...that hair...it HAS to go. Now they say that they refuse to get hair cuts until 3on3 hockey league is over. Ugh.

state hockey

We had a fun time with the boys at the MN State Hockey Tournament over the weekend. The boys got their mini sticks signed by some Wild players, played lots of knee-hockey, and thought it was loads of fun to run around with their friends hiding from the hotel security. They must take after their dad.We were looking for somewhere to eat on the way home and from the backseat we heard a little voice say..."hey dad, can we go to Cooper's Foods?Tired out.
To see how the girls' weekend was, click here!

Mite Championship

Carter and Cooper's hockey team won three games this weekend to take 1st place in their tournament. Cooper was the goalie for their championship game. Congratulations boys!

Carter's Project

Carter had to do a research project at school about a famous person. He chose Wayne Gretzky. He had to look in books and on the internet to find facts about him. If you look closely, you'll see that Carter has changed the spelling of Wayne's last name so that it is spelled with the same last three letters as our last name! Hope he didn't get points marked off for that!

The boys' last hockey tournament is this weekend and then it is off for HAIRCUTS! Yay!

In case I don't return your call...

I just want you to know the type of phone messages I get. This is one Carter took for me yesterday. Hey...atleast he wrote it down! It says...

Mom someone asked, Do you want to play Bunco?

bad blogger

I know, I know. I've been neglecting the blog lately. You see, it's just so hard to type when you are frozen. It is currenlty -30F. Winter can leave anytime.

Proud

of our girl! She has a 4.0 gpa this year and is currently student of the month for her pod in middle school. I think we need a bumper sticker!

what superbowl?

It's all hockey all the time at our house.

today...

Today I had to wear my winter coat while I did the dishes because the window over our sink doesn't close all the way and -50 wind chill was blowing into my kitchen.

Today I had had to use my cash from my poker winnings last weekend to buy my third graders recorders at school.

Today Cooper called from school to say he forgot his gym shoes, but when Tim came home to get them and bring them to school we couldn't find them. It turns out they WERE in his backpack, he just didn't look hard enough.

Today I made Tim take Carter to the doctor because he woke up with severe lower abdominal pain and I was sure it was appendicitis. It wasn't.

Today I am going to bed early...the best part of my day...today.

Tomorrow is a new day.

School Dance

The kids went to their school's family dance last night...the theme was the 50's. The only one to do much dancing was miss Kennedy who was full of moves. Tim kept trying to teach the boys his moves...like the lawnmower, the shopping cart and the sprinkler. Funny...they didn't want to show any of them off at the dance.

What have we been up to?

Hockey, hockey...and more hockey.
Carter and Cooper had their first full-ice game this weekend and both scored a goal.


...sweaty hockey hair...

snowpeople

Love it!

Now this is a MOM...I read in the paper today about a mom who found alcohol in her 19-year-old son's car and decided to sell it by placing an in the local newspaper that read:
"OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet."

Guests Needed

I was asked to participate in an upcoming fundraiser for the Bethesda All Stars after-school program. Because someone thought I was a "creative" individual, they asked me to decorate and host a table at the fundraiser. Since my business is all about kids, and this fundraiser is for kids, I thought it would be a fun way to give of some of my talents. My theme, of course is photography and I have been busy trying to come up with fun ideas for placecards, party favors, place settings and a centerpiece. Here is where I need a little help...I need to find seven people to come and sit at MY table and eat brunch for this fundraiser. It is on Saturday January 26th at 10am and tickets are $25. Brunch and of course great company included! Let me know if you would like more details or are interested in giving to a good cause AND helping out a girl in need!

Here it is...

okay...I finally got around to doing the before and after slideshow of the remodel of our house. You can view it by clicking here. Here are some stills of the most dramatic changes.

The gift of time

The best thing I did for myself this holiday season was to take a break from my photography sessions. I finally had the thing I wanted the most but seemed to have the least...TIME. I got to spend time with the kids(and be annoyed by their constant fighting, whining, and complaints of I'm bored!), watch movies, read (I finished an entire book!), catch up on people's blogs I like to read, plan for the future of my business, daydream, shop...AND take silly pictures of my kids and post them the SAME day!

Christmas 2007..take two

Christmas 2007

Who Knew?

That ten years in, we'd still be having so much fun?

It's How You Live

This song has such a great message...especially at this time of year when it is so easy to get stressed out by the "stuff" of life. We hope you find time to "turn up the music" this Christmas and in the coming year. Happy Holidays!

It's not so much fun

being the child of a photographer. People ask me a lot if my kids get tired of getting their pictures taken. Yes they do...but I take them anyway.
To see more...click here.

Are they identical?

I still get asked this question all the time. Although we don't "officially" know the answer because we never sent a sample of their DNA to get tested, I always answer "no". When they were little, they did look quite a bit alike...but in the past few years they really have been developing their own looks, as well as personalities and interests. Once you get to know them, you would never think they are identical. Carter is into sports sports sports, is very competitive, and worries a lot about what other people think. Cooper is into music and trucks and talking to others, especially adults, and is more laid back. Here is a photo of them last Saturday...identical? I'll let you decide.

My favorite commercial

If you know me at all, you know what a special relationship I have with diet coke. I feel like I have had the experiences from this commerical hundreds of times. Thanks for the DC delivery today Cindy!

party time

We had our first Christmas celebration of the season last night. And there just happened to be a big Gopher/Sioux rivarly going on too! The kids played an ornament exchange game, decorated cookies, and cheered on their favorite team.

i loved this weekend

Here's why:

1. Snow started falling Friday night and we woke up Saturday morning to a fresh blanket of white snow that the kids enjoyed playing in all day.

2. I figured out what I was doing for Christmas cards and got them ordered.

3. We got to start decorating for Christmas...AND got to listen to lots of Christmas music, my favorite!

4. Tim and I got to go out for dinner and drinks with friends.

5. I got caught up on all photo sessions for 2007...that feels good!

6. The kids and I went on our annual trip to pick out their ornaments...this year we have an iceskater holding a dog, a soccer player, a coffee cup, and a cute dalmation with pigtails.

Here are some pics of the weekend.

A few of my favorite ornaments from my tree!